New Chapters
by lakariana
Summary: A new collection of separate one shots inspired by season 6, mostly based around Killian Jones/Captain Hook but with plenty of appearances from the rest of the characters. Missing scenes to short stories. Chapter 5: The Blue Fairy has something to tell Hook that will destroy everything he's ever known. Set after 6x09
1. Chapter 1: Understandings

**Authors Note** : Hello again, I hope everyone is enjoying the new season. Although Dark Waters had its faults. It has triggered a burst of inspiration. I will add more one shots to this as I get more ideas like I did with the last season in _Proof_. These two are filling in some missing conversations that I think were needed to round off the episode. The first is a look at Henry and Emma and the second is dealing with Liam. I hope you all enjoy reading them please leave me a review and let me know what you thought.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or story elements from Once Upon a Time, this has been written for fun only.

...

"Come on then," Emma said nodding towards Granny's where she could see her family noisily getting settled into the large booth at the window.

"Actually Swan, I think I should miss this one," Hook replied his hand drifting behind his ear. Emma turned and gave his embarrassment a suspicious eye.

"What? Why? You spent half the afternoon complaining that you missed lunch," she asked.

"I shouldn't intrude," he replied.

"Intrude?" she spluttered, not believing her ears. When had he ever worried about being where he shouldn't be?

"Aye love, you should have some family time, you know... with your family," he said lamely and stepped backwards away from her. She instantly stepped forward and grabbed his arm.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. She looked up into his face her eyes wide searching deep into his in a move she knew he couldn't resist for long. "You are a part of this family now."

"Not everyone feels that way Emma," Hook sighed "And I don't want to irritate so soon after being allowed to live with you." Emma felt a flicker of anger, no one had _allowed_ anything, it was her house and her life and he was her boyfriend, as ridiculous as the term sounded.

"Was it Dad? Because we talked about it and-" Emma cut herself off as she turned to glare at where her father was in Granny's window but instead her frown met a matching one etched onto her son's face. Emma felt her heart sink.

Henry's wide eyed innocent optimism had been slowly and surely turning into the condescending disapproval of all teenagers over the last few weeks. She'd been shrugging it off as just being due to his age and hormones but glancing back at the uncomfortable look on Hook's face she got the horrible feeling she had missed something significant.

"I knew something else happened on that submarine," she said. "What aren't you telling me?"

"The lad and I talked some things out," Hook said stepping away again. This time Emma didn't follow him. "Don't worry love, he's nearly grown," he continued, as if that would make her feel better. "He's deciding what kind of man he's going to be and he doesn't need a one handed pirate forcing himself into his life at every turn." The sinking feeling in Emma's stomach grew into a cold rock pulling at her. "Hey, no need for faces like that," Hook said, quickly stepping back into her space and rubbing his thumb on her cheek, smoothing out the pinched worry lines. "I think all this business with… Liam has made me rather maudlin," he said, hesitating over his half brother's name in a way that made Emma's heart break for him. "It's really not as bad as I just made it sound, just giving Henry some time with just you and your parents. That's all love. I'll be back waiting at home before you I wager."

"Where are you going?" she asked with a deep breath.

"Snow tells me Belle had something of a day today, I know how destructive it can be to rattle around a pirate ship alone, even one as fine as mine, I thought I'd take her some food and keep her company a while." Emma smiled and dropped a kiss on his lips.

"That's sweet," she said, forcibly pushing her anxiety away. "I'll see you later."

"Of course Swan, I'll be there," he replied his eyes speaking of promises his simple words didn't express. She was reluctant to turn away but he gave her his best rakish smile and she gave him an exasperated one back, then he left to walk to the docks.

Granny's was as warm and noisy inside as it had looked from outside as Emma dropped heavily into her family's booth.

"Hook not coming in?" Snow asked immediately.

"No," Emma replied. "He wasn't sure he'd be welcome." She gave Henry a look and was surprised when Henry's face flashed with surprise and concern rather than the victory she'd half expected.

"When's that ever stopped him before," David scoffed.

"I think that attitude is exactly the point," Emma replied, the accusing sharpness in her tone aimed at herself for thinking the same, as much as at her father. An awkward silence fell over the booth, Snow casting worried glances at everyone over Neal's head.

"I'll go get him," David said as he started to get up.

"No," Emma said shaking her head apologetically for making things uncomfortable. "He's having dinner with Belle so she's not alone on the Jolly, we'll see him later." The silence fell again. "So, you never told me much about this submarine," Emma said to Henry trying to get them talking with the first thing that came to mind and then wishing she'd thought of something else.

"It would have been really cool if we hadn't been kidnapped," Henry replied and Emma couldn't decipher if his tone was sincere or not. Had she stopped knowing her son at some point? Even with Hyde looming in the background she'd been feeling like she had when they'd been living in harmony in New York, but now she realised she was actually back to when she'd first driven into town with him, this strange boy who knew and loved her but who she had no clue about.

She should have told him about asking Hook to move in before she'd asked Killian. It had been one of those wild romantic feeling impulses at the time, impulses that she had not allowed herself for so long. She'd got caught up in her own excitement and not considered Henry's feelings about it. But then again he'd never said anything against Hook and had encouraged her to ask him out in the first place. He only lived with her half the time anyway, the rest of the week she was alone in that big house, that Henry had helped Hook pick out, expressly so they could live in it together. Why was she making excuses for herself?

"You mean there's a military submarine floating somewhere in the docks?" her father demanded loudly jarring her back into the conversation at the table.

"Yeah," Henry said matter of factly.

"We need to talk to them," Snow said urgently. "They can't go out of Storybrooke, can you imagine if they meet someone from outside or another submarine? They could set off a war!"

"I think Liam will be staying in town until Nemo is better anyway," Henry said. The casual way he said the name such a contrast compared to Killian's effort that it made Emma blink for a second.

"What's he like?" she asked quietly. Henry gave her another surprised look.

"I didn't really meet him, I only saw him when he was attacking Hook so… angry and vengeful," he replied.

"Run in their family does it?" David asked jokingly and then cowed under the dual glares from Emma and Snow.

"Hook thought he was justified," Henry said and something in his voice made Emma turn to him properly.

"And you?" She asked. "What do you think?" Henry shrugged. "It's a good thing you don't have some sort of mystical responsibility that relies on your use of words." _There_ was that look of disapproving teenage condescension. "I thought you liked him." Emma asked in a pained voice, fully aware her parents were listening avidly but she kept her focus on reading her son's response. There was no way she had got this situation so wrong was there? Hadn't he been play fighting and gossiping about her with Hook just the other day?

"I do, I mean, he's alright. I don't hate him," came the vague reply.

"Walsh got more of an endorsement than that and the only thing he ever did with you was take the three of us to lunch now and then and hang around the apartment," Emma reminded him in exasperation.

"I know, I know," Henry said, sounding frustrated. "It's just Mom- er, I mean the Evil Queen came and kept calling him _my new dad_ and I just… I just didn't like that!"

Emma actually felt her brain seize up. _New Dad? Crap._ That was so not something that anyone had been thinking, let alone said out loud. This is what Killian and Henry had talked about? No wonder Hook was being so awkward.

"When did she say this?" Snow asked.

"This morning-" Henry started to explain.

"What? When-?" Emma cut in.

"At the house-" he started again.

"What?" Emma cut in again. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I got kidnapped and taken to a submarine," Henry answered flatly. Okay maybe Emma could concede that point.

"What else did she say?" she asked.

"That's it and about Hook not getting rid of the sheers," Henry assured her. "She didn't hurt me, she wanted to help."

"That bitch," Snow said. Everyone stared at her open mouthed in shock. "I'm sorry," she said defensively. "But how can she pretend she did this out of love for you Henry? She saw Emma and you were finally getting some happiness, some normality and she had to come and ruin it. She can't stand the thought of others being happy. She wants us all to be miserable like her. What did she think would happen? That you'd demand Hook left and force Emma to choose between the two of you?"

"I wouldn't do that," Henry frowned.

"Of course you wouldn't sweetheart," Snow agreed. "Which is why her plan failed. Like always. She's incapable of letting go of her hate, and she thinks everyone else will be the same."

"Well we're not," David joined in.

"No we're not," Snow repeated sharing a smile with him.

"You'd think she'd know that after everything we've all been through the last few years," Emma sighed.

"Maybe that's the part that got left in Regina?" David suggested as he waved to the waitress to take their order.

"That's it!" Snow said excitedly making everyone jump.

"What's it?"

"That's how we defeat her, we have to get her and Regina back together." The rest of table exchanged glances. "Oh come on," Snow complained. "It's just like you said the last few years Regina has grown and moved past the Evil Queen. Despite her. We just have to show Regina she can do it again, she can be who she wants to be even with the Evil Queen as a part of her. She's the one who can defeat her, she did it before with our help."

"But, Jekyll is gone, how are we going to-"

"We find a way," Snow said firmly. "We have our own mad scientist and plenty of magic users in town and there's so many people from Untold Story, maybe one of them will know a way."

Emma bit her lip, she wanted to believe her mother's latest hope speech and she did wonder why no one had thought of the possibility before, but she had no idea where they would even start and after everything would Regina really accept her evil side back inside her heart?

The mood now lightened and submarines and step fathers shelved for the time being the rest of the dinner passed as normal, or as normal as it could. The atmosphere tensed up as soon as Emma and Henry were in the car driving back home, the half discussed issue of Hook and his new brother hanging between them, but neither of them could bring themselves to break the safe silence that had fallen until the bug pulled up outside their house and they saw the windows were all dark.

"He must still be with Belle," Emma sighed, trying to force some lightness into her voice. Henry looked from the quiet cold looking house to the fake smile on Emma's face and felt miserable.

"I didn't mean for him to go away. I was just angry," he said quietly. Emma sighed.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you I was thinking of asking him to move in, it must have been a surprise."

"It really wasn't," Henry groaned. "I sort of expected him to move straight in after he came back."

"Then what-"

"I don't know."

"You can tell me," she said earnestly. "Whatever it is. I won't be angry. I want us to all work this out."

"I really don't know!" Henry repeated frustration making his voice louder. "I didn't think it was a problem until it was." Emma slumped back into her seat and studied his face.

"I understand," she said. Henry gave her a disbelieving look. "No I do," she stated. "Foster system remember. All these new families, made up of random parts forced together and everyone else seems to know what's best for you and how you should be behaving or talking. How could they know when they barely know you and why do they care anyway? It's not like they're really your family." Henry swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat and nodded.

"I might have said something like that to Hook," he admitted.

"Yeah he might have said something like that to me," Emma replied with a sad smile.

"Was he mad?"

"No, I think he was a bit sad." Henry felt the lump grow bigger and frowned intensely at the floor mat at his feet.

"He'll get over it," Emma said with breezy confidence she hoped wasn't misplaced. "I think he understands too, but Henry, Evil Queens aside… I wish I could say let's take things slow and take time for everyone to adjust and find our new normal-"

"But you might die," he cut in with an understanding resigned tone. Emma face became pinched wishing she could channel her mother and give a confident optimistic speech, the only thing she knew was that she really didn't want to waste what time she had discussing her death.

" _He_ already died twice," she pointed out, the strangeness of making a joke out of some of the worst moments of recent months not lost on her. "And he's always getting into trouble. I'm thinking of getting one of those tracking chips and implanting it in his head."

"I suppose it's cheaper just to keep him at home, keep a close eye on him," Henry agreed his eyes getting back some their spark.

"Maybe I should get one for you," Emma replied squinting at her son in mock suspicion.

A sudden sharp tapping on Henry's window made them both jump and Emma send out a flash of warning magic that left spots in their eyes.

"Bloody hell," Killian cursed outside. Emma and Henry climbed out of the bug to find a disgruntled pirate rubbing his eyes. "What was that for? Why are you two just sitting in the car?"

"We were talking," Henry answered. "But we can _all_ go in now." He said the last part slightly too loudly and Hook gave them both a sideways look. Emma leaned in and linked her arm with his, earning a dashing smile and a kiss on the head before they followed Henry along the path to the door.

"You have a nice time with Belle?" she asked.

"We are rapidly running out of things to talk about," Hook complained.

"I'll lend you my laptop and you guys can watch movies. I'll set you up a play list! Then you'll finally get what I'm talking to you about," Henry declared as he unlocked the front door and waited impatiently for them.

"I understand most of what you say," Killian protested and was met with full force disapproving teenager. He turned to Emma for help but she just shook her head and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said as she turned and closed the door to their home.

...


	2. Chapter 2: New Chapters to Old Stories

Chapter 2: New Chapter to Old Stories

 **Author's note:** This is set a few weeks after Dark Waters. Enjoy :)

...

"I know I have no right to ask anything of you…. but I need a favour"

Liam felt a tidal wave of irritation wash through him. He had overheard some of the crew joking about his pirate heritage behind his back and the crewmen in question had been sorely punished for their jibes. If his so called brother was about to ask him to take part in something underhand and criminal he'd swiftly learn that while he may not wish him dead he was far from-

"There's a pregnant woman on my ship, she is having pains. I can't get there right now would you-"

Liam leaned back to stare at the black plastic material the telephone was made of, as if it would confirm his half brother was joking. The dock master waved encouragingly between the handset and his face assuming Liam didn't understand the device and he put it back to his ear to avoid any discussion with the well meaning man.

"You want me to birth a child!?" Liam spluttered.

"No no," Hook's voice quickly corrected. "At least I hope not it's far too early but she is in distress and alone. I swore to protect her but -" this time a loud roar cut off the pirate's voice.

"What was that?" Liam demanded.

"Something I hope to have sorted forthwith," Hook replied evasively. "Please, Liam. I don't have time to explain but you are the only person I can ask."

….

"Here you are Captain," the dock master smiled as he pointed down the wooden dock. Liam hadn't actually needed his escort to find the ship, the tall masts of the Jolly Roger towered over the rest of the small boats in the town's docks. "May I just say it is a pleasure to meet a relation of Captain Hook, a fine man." Liam gave him an incredulous look that the dock master missed as he continued to talk. "Always pays his fees on time, helps out if we need an extra hand. I'm always happy to do the odd task that isn't strictly in my job description, you know like today, shouldn't really have brought my cell phone to you, but, for a little appreciation..." The old man rubbed his fingers together and grinned at Liam showing off the holes in his teeth. "How long are you planning to stay in Storybrooke?" he asked nonchalantly and Liam sighed, so that's why the man was so keen to chat with him. He actually had no idea what he was going to do next, about anything.

"I'll send a man to see you in the morning," he promised over his shoulder as he walked towards the sailing ship without waiting for a response, hopefully the man's fees would not be exorbitant.

Liam stopped at the gangway and stared up at the pirate ship. It was a handsome vessel and surprisingly well kept, the rigging looked tight and well maintained and the decks ordered and uncluttered. It was also surprisingly colourful with bright yellow and blue paint circling her railings. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, something more gloomy and blood soaked he supposed.

" _There is always more to the story."_

Nemo's current favourite catchphrase, echoed in his mind. After their reunite in the hospital his captain had forced him to admit they owed his brother gratitude for helping them. On top of that they found out from staff at the hospital that it had in fact been Hook who had defeated Hyde, something Liam had feared was impossible while they languished at the mysterious isle. He had so far stubbornly refused to thank his half brother formally, and Nemo had taken to repeating this new phrase when Liam would argue about the pirate's past crimes outweighing his new change of heart.

A movement on the upper deck caught his eye and he found himself jogging up the gangway and onto the ship without another thought.

A beautiful woman with dark hair and pale skin was leaning against the railing forcing herself to take deep breaths while a light patterned dress flapped around her thighs.

"Miss?"

She jumped and held her hand up to hold him back, fear clouding her face. Liam growled at himself for not being more careful and held his open hands in front of himself in surrender.

"Sorry Miss," he said. "Er, Captain Hook sent me to check on you. He can't be here himself, but he'll be along when he can."

"Who are you?" she demanded sharply, distrust making her eyes sharp.

"I'm the current Captain of the Nautilus," he explained, but she didn't recognise the name and remained fixed to the railing frowning at him. "I'm...I'm his brother," he admitted with difficulty.

"Oh!" Her entire countenance transformed, her body softening as her muscles unwound and her face brightening with interest. "Liam?"

"Yes, that's me."

She smiled brightly at him, her reaction amazing him. He came to this town with murder in his heart, yet hearing he was linked to a blood thirsty pirate made everyone trust him. Shouldn't the association make them fear him more? Maybe they were glad he was here to kill Hook, but looking at the gently smiling woman on the deck he didn't believe it.

Her eyes scanned his face apparently looking for similarities to his recently discovered brother and his discomfort grew as he was unable to gauge her conclusions. He opened his mouth to ask if she needed anything when she grimaced and turned to the railing.

He was at her side in an instant, his hand automatically resting between her shoulder blades to stop her leaning too far over the side. Huffing breaths left her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut and despite the psychosomatic tingling running up his arm, confirming that such contact was completely improper, he began rubbing small circles onto her back in an effort to relieve her distress.

"Please Miss, I can send someone for a doctor. What is wrong?" he asked.

"Evolution," she grumbled.

"Pardon?"

"I read a book about how we all evolved over thousands of years, each generation stronger and better than the last," she said, leaning her head against the wood of the rail. "Well, let me tell you if that was true being pregnant wouldn't be so awful. You can't eat anything you used to enjoy but you are hungry all the time, and when you do eat something you throw it up half an hour later and end up feeling nauseous _and_ hungry. Thousands of years of _getting better_ led to this?" she gestured at her stomach and groaned.

Who was this woman? She didn't seem like a pirate. Was this Henry's mother? Is that why Hook cared about her enough to call his half brother who hated him for help?

"I'm sorry Killian sent you to look after me," she continued, tilting her face so she could look up at him. "I suppose sailors probably don't enjoy being around queasy pregnant women." Liam had never considered himself a sailor having spent his career as a submariner and proud of it, but he knew better than to try to waste time explaining the difference.

"Don't worry about it," he replied, before noticing his hand was still on her back and quickly removing it.

"Belle."

"Pardon?"

"My name," she smiled. "It's Belle."

"Well Belle, It's not any trouble. We're dry docked for now anyway." She nodded and turned her head back to the railing. A silence fell and Liam wondered again what the hell he was doing here.

" _There is always more to the story. Don't you owe it to yourself to know as much as possible? I know you Liam, I didn't raise you to act blindly."_

Nemo's speech ran through his head as he looked around the upper deck, taking in the simple helm and the empty spaces where the cannons once stood. What kind of pirate ship has no cannons on board? What kind of pirate has a ship with no weapons?

"How did Killian know I wasn't well?" Belle asked.

"I have no idea," Liam admitted. "He rang the dock master on his portable phone and asked to speak to me."

"He did? So how...oh no he's going to kill me," Belle exclaimed as she stood straight and gave him a panicked stare. Liam's face hardened at her words. He knew it. Never be fooled by appearances, as beautiful and non threatening as his ship may be, Captain Hook was still a vicious pirate.

"He won't touch you while I'm here," he promised Belle.

"What?" Belle asked as she looked around distractedly before realising what she'd just said. "No no! Killian would never… I mean he did try twice before but he wouldn't now. I just mean he'll be angry… never mind. We need to go downstairs."

" _There is always more to the story."_

The words kept echoing around his head as Liam followed Belle through the hatch into what must have been the captain's cabin, where he was brought up short in surprise. If the outside of the ship had been unexpectedly nice the inside was shockingly pretty. Were these Hook's flowers and soft furnishings? Belle absently adjusted the table cloth as she passed it and Liam decided that the feminine touches must all be hers. So she lived in the captain's cabin?

"Are you sure you're OK?" he asked as she started rummaging around the bunk.

"Well it never goes completely but I don't feel like decorating the floor," she replied.

"Right, but I didn't mean that," he said with a wince. "You said he tried to kill you."

"I shouldn't have said anything," she moaned, still searching for something. "Pregnancy brain and I haven't had many people to talk to."

"Are you his prisoner?" Liam asked, giving up on tact and being direct.

"No!" she exclaimed in shock. "If anything he's mine half the time. Poor Killian stuck babysitting... literally. But he offered his ship for me to live in so it's his own fault."

"And he lives here with you?" he asked looking around the flowery cabin.

"He did for a little while, he slept in a pull out cot over there. But he moved in with Emma and Henry a few weeks ago. He's always coming by to check on me though. He's been really good." She spoke with the soft smile he'd seen before and the gratitude and affection in her voice rang loudly in the small cabin.

"I don't understand," he said, not quite meaning to state his confusion out loud. " He's a villain."

"Not anymore," Belle said sternly. "Don't get me wrong, when he got to Storybrooke he was full of anger and hate, his heart was rotten with it."

"I met him," Liam stated flatly. Belle gave him a sympathetic smile.

"He thought hurting me would hurt Rumple and he was right, but he regrets what he did now and he's trying to make it up to me," she explained.

"Rumple?"

"My husband," her hands drifted to her stomach and her smile disappeared as if a heavy fog fell over her. Oh, Liam thought, she's in hiding from this husband and Hook is giving her safe harbour. That answers a lot of questions. "I thought Killian was nothing but selfish violence and Rumple was changing into a good man, but I had them backwards," Belle finished sadly. She looked up and gave him a watery smile and despite barely knowing her, his heart filled with sympathy for her.

"What are we looking for?" he asked trying to distract her.

"Oh, a mermaid's conch," she answered, turning to the bunk again.

"The type they use to contact each other?" he asked as he started to help her search.

"Exactly! Killian has the answering shell, I'm supposed to use it when I need him. I was down here when the nausea hit me really hard and I must have grabbed it by accident and-"

"Is this it?" Liam asked, pulling a large pale pink shell from under the table.

"Yes! Thank goodness you found it before he got back." She took it from him and turned it over in her hands. "It got shattered but Emma fixed it with her magic, you can't even see the cracks. See?" She held it out and Liam leaned closer to study it, her hands wavered and he rested his under hers to steady them and allow him a proper look.

"I don't know if I'm relieved or annoyed," said a tired voice behind them. They sprang apart only then realising how close together they'd been.

Stood in the doorway was Killian Jones, blood tarnished sword slung over his shoulder, black leather slightly rumpled, the kohl around his eyes highlighting their bright blue irises and the blush of exertion in his cheeks. In short he couldn't look more like a roguish hero if he tried. Which he probably did, Liam decided with a snort.

"Killian! What happened?" Belle asked, innocently dropping the conch onto the bed next to them.

"Some fool brought the gargoyles at the convent to life. The worst part was their bloody _inspirational_ singing. What happened here? Are you well?" The last question was directed at Liam as much as Belle and he gave the pirate a nod as the young woman apologised for misusing the mermaid's conch.

"You are still so nauseous? Did you not find the mint solution?" Hook asked as he moved to the low cupboards in the corner of the room.

"No," belle replied with a laugh. "I was terrified to move anything in there in case I ruined your system."

"What system?" Hook huffed. "You mean tidiness?"

Liam was used to the rigorous efficiency that came with living with limited space for long stretches of time at sea, but once again he was surprised to see the neat packages and boxes organised inside the cupboard instead of an avalanche of random loot. He even recognised some of the labelling and items as essentials he had in his own quarters.

"You keep a very tight ship," he heard his voice comment. Killian glanced back in surprise at the compliment clearly unsure if he should say something in reply.

"It's all from Killian's time in the Navy, right Killian?" Belle announced helpfully. Hook hissed something under his breath Liam didn't catch.

" _There is always more to the story."_

"Navy?" he asked finally giving in to his curiosity. He could practically hear Nemo smiling from the hospital across town.

"Aye, I was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy of a long forgotten kingdom which is now part of Camelot," Hook replied.

"Really? I didn't know that," Belle said in surprise.

"Arthur wasn't the first useless King of that realm," he said bitterly.

"Did you leave when the kingdom fell?" Liam asked.

"No, I helped it fall," Hook replied standing tall and handing a small green bottle to Belle. "Li-... my… my Captain lost his life because he gave his faith, his loyalty to a king who never deserved it. A corrupt royal who dictated the lives of others like puppets in a game, with no right to do so other than being born in a castle instead of the poor house. I swore I would never blindly serve another self proclaimed king. If I died it would be a fate of my own making." His shoulders squared as he spoke in both pride and as a challenge.

"You became a pirate," Liam summarised.

"I became a pirate," Hook agreed.

So there, one question answered, the back story filled in. Did Liam feel better? No. He didn't want to know his father's murderer had depth, had tried to live a noble life and been betrayed. Had lost someone he cared for deeply and let it seed darkness in his heart. He didn't want to know he had anything in common with his pirate brother. He wanted him to be an empty monster, not a human being. Damn Nemo and his advice.

"Well if you don't need my assistance anymore…." he said, deciding it was best he left quickly. Hook looked as relieved as he felt and nodded, moving to show him out.

"Thank you so much for coming Liam, it was lovely meeting you," Belle said earnestly. "Please come by again." There was some hidden plea under her words and his eyes followed hers to where his brother stood waiting by the door. Liam only nodded mutely as he left. The air outside was fresh and cool and he sucked a deep breath in hoping it would drive out the clashing thoughts in his head.

"I apologise for Belle, she means well," Hook said gently as he joined him on deck. So the pirate had seen Belle's silent request in the cabin. "I think she's rather desperate to see a happy ending."

"She thought she would see that with us?" Liam asked, amazement and ridicule colouring his voice.

"When she gets an idea in her head it can be difficult to shift it," Hook sighed.

"She is a very, erm…. earnest person," Liam admitted, not sure he'd ever met anyone like the young lady before.

"That's one word for her certainly," Hook rolled his eyes before becoming serious again. "Thank you for helping me despite my... despite everything. I apologise for asking, I shan't impose on you again."

"Why _did_ you call me?" Liam asked.

"Belle is tough but not the best at seeing the danger in others. We only know and trust a small core group and they were all at the fight at the convent. The last man I left her with was in fact an ally, but he turned on her when he discovered who her husband was. There are many in this town harbouring ill will towards him and therefore by association Belle. I knew you had no such feeling... and that you were a good man." Hook's speech sounded sincere and it made sense having met Belle and seen some of the strangeness of Storybrooke, but Liam balked at the compliment to his nature. What could Captain Hook know of him or of any good men?

"So this husband has many enemies, like you." It was a childish insult and Liam felt his anger sparking at how on edge his brother was making him feel.

"Far more than even me," Killian replied as if it was a natural question. "Especially considering I am one of them. He is the demon I spent centuries hunting."

Centuries? That's right, Nemo had explained that to him while they'd been tracking the pirate. Desperate to find vengeance and kill the Dark One, the infamous Captain Hook had been unable to find a way to kill the unkillable and instead had found a way to live centuries to extend his search. Liam remembered mocking the pirate's ridiculous story but if he truly was his brother then...what?….Father had been centuries old too?

"You didn't achieve your revenge," Liam stated unnecessarily.

"I thought I had," Killian replied rubbing his face tiredly. "But it did not give me the pleasure I had expected. Maybe my heart had begun changing even before that." He stared into the half distance for a moment, lost in some memory Liam couldn't guess at. He came back to himself suddenly glancing at his younger brother and scratching behind his ear. It was a move he'd made when Belle had brought up the Navy and Liam realised it was a nervous tick. He felt a flash of annoyance at recognising the mannerism, as if it was proof that he'd spent too much time around the man he'd sworn to hate. He turned and marched across the deck, Hook's voice floating after him.

"Thank you again…. Liam."

He appreciated the lack of goodbyes, too much meaning would be hidden in the words for their tenuous association. He should go directly to his ship and go back to forcing any thoughts of his brother from his mind. There was the Nautilus and her crew to see to, and the doctors had said Nemo would be released soon. He'd need somewhere safe to rest, much like Belle with her pirate protector, who made sure she could contact him and was willing to call on the half brother who hated him just to ensure she was well. Very thoughtful and caring behaviour for a heartless murderer.

" _Don't you owe it to yourself to know as much as possible?"_

Liam got as far as the deck railing before he turned back to the pirate.

"Why did you kill him?" he demanded.

"You do not want the answer."

"It's the only answer I want!" Liam yelled, his familiar fury surging inside him. After all this time and pain this man could not deny him the truth. Liam would not allow it, even if he had to ring it from his neck with his bare hands.

"I had a reason as poor as it may seem to some," came the next inadequate answer.

"What reason? He was a poor barman in a country village. He'd never even been to sea, how could he have harmed you? All he had was my mother and me and then she died and it was just the two of us and you took him from me! Why?"

"I didn't think of you when I did it, only myself."

"Because he left you?"

"Left us?" There was an edge to Hook's voice as he spoke, something brittle but also razor sharp. He looked him straight in the eye and Liam saw the old villain emerge onto his brother's face. "Is that what he told you? No, I doubt he even mentioned us at all. Did you know my brother even existed?"

"Brother?" Liam asked, his anger fading into confusion.

"Aye, _my_ brother," Hook snarled, his whole body threateningly still and focused. "Our dear innocent father sold the two of us into a life of torture and slavery in exchange for a damn row boat so he could save his own skin and escape justice and he never once looked back."

Liam stumbled away from his older brother, as he spat out the words. The rage pouring out of the other man was like the ocean pushing him back under the force of its roar. Hook's chest was heaving, his lingering adrenaline from whatever fight he had been in stoking his temper and blasting away any rational thought from his mind.

"My brother was the only thing I loved in my sorry existence, the only light. He died in my arms on this very ship, for no conceivable reason. He was my entire world, _my_ only family and father cast him aside like scraps and gave _you_ his name _."_

Liam felt his breath freeze in his chest. His name?

" _There is always more to the story."_

A deadly glint was flaring in Hook's blue eyes like a boiling fire and he realised that this was the face his father saw as the knife plunged into his chest. This was the monster he had been searching his whole adult life for, but he wasn't seeing the heartless demon he'd always imagined. Instead a tortured soul screamed at him as it was overwhelmed by pain and outrage.

Even as he is thinking these things the demon is fading, the man rapidly returning, the eyes losing their flame and growing wide with shame and self loathing. Liam is struck dumb as the pirate slumps, a resigned look slipping over him as if the executioner's axe is already falling. He feels an urge step to forward but is incapable of comforting his father's murderer.

His father who sold them into slavery? His own flesh and blood? So he could escape? Liam wanted to deny it, to beat the lies from the pirate until he regretted saying anything against the man Liam had loved, but he couldn't deny the truth burning in his brother's eyes. His mind felt like a kite in a maelstrom and for some reason the only thought that formed clearly was an observation. Whenever he says your name it hurts him.

" _There is always more to the story."_

There was no other course of action other than their complete destruction, so without another word, Liam Jones the younger turned his back on his brother and fled.

...

 **Author's note:** Thank you for reading, I hope they were enjoyable. Please leave a review, I can't describe how much I gain from learning what you all think of what I write. Next up, something funny and random :P


	3. Chapter 3: 53

**Author's note:** I can't believe I didn't think of this before. Has someone else? Full disclaimers at the end. Just a little bit of fun. Hope you enjoy.

Thank you all so much for the lovely favourites, follows and reviews to the last chapters, it was so exciting to see the notifications. I was quite overwhelmed.

…..

Emma slung her arm heavily around Henry's shoulders as they walked back to her house. He gave an annoyed huff but didn't move it and Emma grinned in happy victory, it was actually quite comfortable now he was taller. They rounded the corner and Emma tensed as she saw a dark figure hulking over her car. She held Henry back as they slowed and she motioned for him to wait as she squinted to see who it was. The figure was leaning over so their face was down and they looked like they were talking to the bug's windscreen. As Emma crept forward she realised that it was a man and that he _was_ talking to the car, in fact from his body language he was having an argument with it. An inappropriate smile flickered onto her face. She thought she'd left this sort of thing in New York. Nice to know some of Storybrooke's crazy was the same sort as the rest of the world. Then again….

"Don't bother with the silent treatment!" the man shouted, he reared back, his bright red hat flapping on his head as he kicked the front tyre closest to him.

"Hey!" Emma shouted. Mr Smee looked up in surprise and whipped his hat off his head, scrunching it in his hands. "What the hell are you doing?" Emma demanded.

"Sorry Princess, er Sheriff, just a small disagreement," he explained. Emma walked up and checked the bug. His kick hadn't left any damage and there was no one inside.

"A disagreement with who?" she asked, eyeing Smee carefully.

"Well, with your car," Smee admitted.

"My car?" she repeated.

"Aye, he owes me money."

"My car owes you money?" she repeated again.

"Yes Ma'am, lost a wager didn't he? Not a small sum either. Now he thinks he can pull this inanimate object rubbish and get out of it!" Smee sounded truly angry and turned to scowl at the small yellow car again raising a fist that Emma grabbed and forced it back to his side. Hook swung between sort of complementary and really not at all whenever he talked about his old bo'sun, but he'd never mentioned the man was prone to hallucinations.

"Smee it's a car," she said trying to keep her voice even and not sound too judgey. She glanced back at Henry who was creeping forward to listen and glared at him to stay put until she'd worked out what was going on.

"So? That doesn't mean he gets special treatment. You can bet if I had lost, he'd be round mine with his hand out, or door out, or whatever," Smee complained. Emma sighed and searched her brain for a way out of this.

"Look, let's go inside and talk about this," she said eventually. She'd call Hook and get him home to talk some sense into his crewmate.

"Oh," Smee said brightening. "Are you going to pay for him then? He is your car I suppose. You can take responsibility for him."

"How much does he owe you?" Emma asked amazed she was having this conversation.

"Five thousand."

"Dollars?" Emma squeaked.

"Yes, you're lucky it's not pieces of gold. How much does the sheriff get paid?" Smee asked pleasantly.

"None of your business," Emma snapped. "I am not paying that, that's ridiculous."

"Don't tell me, tell him," Smee replied gesturing at the bug. "I told him it was a fool's bet, but his pride is too big for his chassis."

Emma stared at the large pirate open mouthed. He smiled expectantly back, but his smile gradually fell as he realised she was being serious and wasn't going to give him give his money. He frowned over his shoulder at the yellow bug and then back at Emma before looking back at the car again.

"Okay," he said slowly nodding to himself. "If that's how it is going to be. I'll have to teach you a lesson about stealing from pirates."

Declaration made he turned his back on the little car and faced Emma head on. He pulled his head high and set his shoulders as his hand went behind his back in a posture Emma immediately recognised as going for a weapon. Still reeling from the weirdness of the whole encounter she only had time to step in front of Henry and half raise her hands in defence. A cold trickle of fear sped down her spine as she realised she couldn't feel her magic building. Her stupid saviour issues were going to let _Mr Smee_ get the better of her?

Nothing happened. Looking up she saw that instead of attacking Smee had frozen, his eyes growing comically wide as he made no effort to pull out the weapon and instead mouthed _NO_ at her. Emma's frown grew as her confusion deepened.

"Well alright then? Calling my bluff are you? I'll show you," the rotund pirate yelled over his shoulder. _NO I WON'T_ he mouthed at Emma and pulled a pistol from his belt. Emma kept her hands up and finally felt a small spark of magic at her palms. Seeing the light Smee face contorted into panic and he gave his head a tiny shake.

"Still nothing?" he shouted. "I guess you don't love the princess all that much then. Maybe I should take payment from both her and her son?" he lifted the gun which wobbled in the vague direction of her and Henry. Emma understood that he didn't want to hurt them but she gave him a severe glare as the magic pooled in her palms, warning him she wouldn't hesitate to retaliate if he did anything.

"O… Okay," Smee shout stammered and cocked the hammer on the pistol, the click so loud it made Emma flinch, a pop of magic fizzing between them.

"No," she gasped, thinking she'd hit the crazy pirate, but the magic dissipated harmlessly and instead Smee went flying forward onto his face the pistol clattering away as Emma's yellow bug revved its engine in a loud growl and jerked backwards and forwards threatening to hit the pirate again if he tried anything. Smee jumped to his feet, ignoring the dirt on his face and hands and he started shouting happily back at the angry vehicle.

"I knew it! I knew you couldn't resist," he yelled. "How you gonna pretend you're so innocent now? You big know-it-all _race car_. Ha!"

Emma stood in the street outside of her house and watched her yellow bug swivel its headlights and rock its front end trying to keep Smee in view as the pirate danced around taunting the car. Losing its patience the small car suddenly lurched forward and Smee cried out and fell on his ass. The little car bounced up and down its windscreen wipers flicked back and forth in what was surprisingly recognisable as laughter.

Emma felt Henry step up to stand next to her and reach out to lower her hands from where she still had them up in front of herself.

"Hey Mom?" he said.

"Yeah," she replied.

"The car is alive."

"Yeah."

"Smee said he was a race car."

"Yeah."

"You know who he is right?"

"No."

"Yeah you do," Henry laughed. "Hey Herbie!"

The little car stopped menacing the pirate on the road and spun its headlights to Henry. The boot opened and closed with a clap and Emma realised it was doing its best to wag its tail. The bug rolled gently forward until it bumped lightly into Henry's shins. Henry's face couldn't hold a bigger grin.

"Hey there," Henry said lovingly and rubbed his hand on the car's roof as if it was a big dog. "You are so cool." The car, freaking _Herbie_ , Emma corrected herself, gave a happy beep and shivered in delight, its trimmings rattling. "How come you're not white with racing stripes?"

Herbie gave a sharp pop and puff of smoke left his exhaust in annoyance, his front end slumping towards the ground.

"Don't worry," Henry said consolingly. "Mom will have you repainted, won't you Mom? And you can come live in the house."

"Whoa, no Henry," Emma cut in. "It's a car."

"But Mom!" Henry exclaimed wrapping his arms around the little bug's roof possessively.

"No," Emma replied sternly. "There is zero space and Regina and I both told you no pets." The bug rolled ever so slightly forward so it nudged her leg and the headlights swivelled to gaze up at her. "Don't even try it," she told it and the headlights swung off to the side. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me sheriff?" Smee spoke up. "Am I to have my money now?"

"Who makes bets with cars?" she asked exasperated. "Who makes bets with pirates?" she demanded of the car who dropped his front end again in shame. "What were the two of you even betting on?"

"The sport," Smee answered. "The Monte Carlo Rally. This one," he nodded at the bug. "Was all about the German cars, I guess for obvious reasons, but family aside, I kept telling him you can't assume they have the better engineering, the Japanese cars are faster and have better handling in a road race. But he wouldn't hear it, got downright irate and now look at him." Emma blinked at them both.

"He talks to you?" she asked.

"No, he's a car. He can't talk," Smee replied giving Emma a look like _she_ was crazy.

"Whatever," Emma said dismissing everything as too strange. "He doesn't have five thousand dollars. Like you said, he's a car." Herbie gave a happy beep and bounced in support. "Ah," she scolded him. "Don't get too happy, you shouldn't have been gambling if you couldn't back it up." The little car dropped his front end until it scraped the ground as he rolled away backwards.

"So, that's it?" Smee demanded upset.

"No, he can't pay you but he'll work it off," Emma declared. Both pirate and vehicle looked at each other in surprise. "You mister," she said, wagging her finger at her beloved and suddenly animated car. "Are going to be Mister Smee's personal Uber, if he needs a lift you're going to give it to him, _whenever_ he needs it and you," the finger swung into Smee's face. "No eating or drinking in the car and if I'm in the middle of saving the world you're just going to have to wait until after. Happy?"

Smee thought it over and nodded. Herbie gave a quick nod of his headlights. Emma sighed.

"Herbie, we'll clean out the garage for you and repaint so it's nice. Would you like that?" Henry gushed. The little car bounced happily and popped the driver's door open. Henry clambered in and Emma was alarmed as the car took off in a joyful spiral without Henry touching the steering wheel.

Her car was alive and had a whole load of movies about him, that she'd watched on boring Saturday mornings growing up. Herbie pulled a Rockford with Henry laughing inside and stopped right next to her the window rolling down and back up in what she guessed was his imitation of a wink. She needed a drink and a sit down.

…

 **Author's Note:** I've always wondered why they made a big deal out of Emma's car and now it all makes sense! Ha ha. That's probably the closest to crack I've ever written. I hope you found it funny.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the character Herbie, he is of course from the 1968 movie _The Love Bug_ and sequels. His racing number is 53. Hey, it's a Disney movie, maybe the bug really is Herbie!

Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. I really enjoyed reading and replying to the comments on the previous chapters.


	4. Chapter 4: Resolve

**Author's note:** Bit of a scramble to get this one out before the next ep, so apologies if it's not up to my usual standard. I hope you still enjoy it, more notes at the end.

...

"Bugger."

Hook and Charming stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down at the prince's cell phone. The device had landed in a shrub around a meter and a half down, just far enough away to be well out of reach. After their frantic search, finding it intact but in such a precarious position was both a relief and a source of anxiety.

"Let's try yours again," David said frowning down the sheer cliff face.

"It's well and truly rogered Mate," Hook sighed holding it up so the prince could see the shattered unusable screen for the second time.

"Hey, are you where that word comes from?" David asked distracted for a moment.

"Roger is a term for the devil, to avoid mentioning his true name and accidently calling him to your side. A good name for a pirate ship… and a sensible ploy considering you've met him, no?" Hook answered with a heavy sigh.

"Huh," David replied in a _you learn something everyday_ kind of way. They went back to staring down the very high cliff at David's phone. The tide was turning and the sea was crashing against the cliff face below while the sun cast bright yellows and oranges against the waves. If they weren't marooned it'd be quite picturesque.

"Well, we shall just have to go down and get it. There's no other way to contact Emma and the others. I've seen no boats pass in the time we've been trapped here," Hook said.

They had been scouting around the coast responding to a tip off David had received at the station that the Evil Queen had been seen looking for something in the area. The place was remote and David had decided the sightings were lies designed to waste their time, but they also couldn't ignore any potential information about her next scheme, so he had left Emma in town in case this was a distraction and taken Hook for backup instead. He had turned out to be half right. Just as they were about to call it a day the Queen had appeared and magically blasted them off the mainland and onto a nearby tiny rock of an island, laughing maniacally about how they were all making it too easy to isolate them all from each other.

Hook bumped into the prince as he struggled to get out of his jacket without taking his hook off first.

"What are you doing?" David asked.

"I'm not risking my last good jacket," Hook complained finally getting it off his brace and tossing it to David. "Besides as good as it looks, it's slightly constrictive."

"Wait, who said you were the one going down?" the prince demanded.

"Mate-"

"Don't start with all that you're not as important to this family crap. _This_ family just went to the Underworld to fetch you back. I don't want to that again."

"I'm not just going to stand up here and watch while you risk life and limb-"

"Like you expect me to? And speaking of limbs I have two of everything. I should go."

"Funny I thought I replaced my hand with a hook. Remind me, what do people take with them when they go climbing?"

"Rope."

"Well… we don't have any of that and what about your wife if you die you can't kiss her awake and instead she'll be doomed to an eternity in the dream realm. Is that what you want?"

"I knew you were going to use that against me."

"I'm not _using_ anything, a fact is a fact."

"I really thought the Evil Queen couldn't do anything more to us other than kill us," David muttered, cursing his naivety. Hook sighed and wondered if they had reached the point in their relationship where he could offer a comforting hand to the prince's shoulder. "I don't know what to do," David continued his gaze turning to the horizon. "We can't go on like this, we're alive but it feels like we're actually dying so slowly we didn't notice at first." There was a joke there about the nature of life but Hook bit his tongue and let Charming continue. " We share one heart, and when we married I swore to share everything with her. But _this,_ literally sharing our life, it's not right. I gave my life when we cast the curse, Snow shouldn't be suffering because of me. That isn't what a husband is supposed to do."

"I don't know about husbands Mate, but you didn't make this situation," Hook replied feeling awkward, the prince had never openly discussed his feelings about personal matters like this with him before. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd done to prompt such an outpouring of frustration.

"I'm not doing anything to fix it either," David huffed in frustration. "Well you know what? That ends here. From now on I'm going to do everything it takes to make her life better. It's her heart beating inside me, she's given me so much. I can give her this."

"Too right Mate," Hook affirmed, glad he had finished. "So spot me will you?"

"What? You're not going."

"Watch me," Hook replied losing his patience and making for the cliff edge. David grabbed his arm and spun him back around and it took all of Hook's self control not to raise his namesake against the man in frustrated anger. "I have to do this," he growled through his teeth.

"What? Why?" David demanded, confused by the vehemence in the captain's voice.

"I just do," Hook snapped.

"Why is it so important? What do you think will happen?" David snapped back, tightening his grip on the other man's arm.

"I'll get the damn phone, what else?"

"That's what I'm asking _you_. Why is it so important you go and not me?"

"Because I might come back if I do fall. You bloody well won't will you?" Hook replied, yanking on his arm as David let go in surprise.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked.

"It means.…" Hook's voice trailed into a hiss as the words he'd spoken filtered into his brain and he realised he really shouldn't have spoken of his suspicions out loud.

"Hook?" David prompted. Hook rubbed his face hard and avoided David's eye, trying to think of a way out of confessing and unfortunately finding none.

"When Emma and Regina were trapped in the mirror?" Hook started and licked his lips considering his next words carefully. "Something just didn't sit well with me and I went to the beach looking for sign of anything untoward."

"You found something," David said, trying to prompt the pirate into getting to the point.

"Aye, the Evil Queen," Hook stated flatly before rushing on with the story. "Next thing I know I'm flying through the air and my head becomes suddenly intimate with a rock, then bloody Arthur and his bloody condescending pity is giving me speeches about not expecting to see me again and just when I've worked up a true rage about the situation I woke up again on that damn beach my head resting on the rock like it was a bloody pillow."

Hook took a deep breath after his rapid speech and waved his hand in a dismissive casual wave as if he'd not said anything too important. David frowned and took a long moment to process everything he'd heard.

"You saw Arthur?" he asked eventually.

"Aye."

"He's dead."

"Aye."

"You think you died and came back to life?" David exclaimed loudly in disbelief.

"I don't bloody know!" Hook said. "But it certainly seemed like it at the time. Now I.. can't help thinking it might be possible. I mean Zeus brought me back to Emma maybe he had some sort of guarantee that I am to stay here with her?"

"Did he say-"

"He didn't say anything at all," Hook cut in ruefully. David looked back at the cliff and another thought struck him.

"Were you planning to test it?" he said unable to keep the amazement from his tone.

"No," Hook replied automatically. "Not directly. I just thought if something did happen then we would know for sure," he admitted. David actually growled at his idiocy.

"You have gone mad," he said.

"I just said I wasn't going to," Hook defended.

"That's _not_ what you said," David argued. He had never claimed to understand the pirate captain's life or choices but this went beyond anything else he'd done before. "You know it's more likely you just got knocked unconscious and dreamed the whole thing."

"It felt real enough."

"And you've never had a dream that felt real before?" David challenged.

"I can't stop thinking about it," Hook said quietly, his anger dropping away. "What if it's true? Emma wouldn't have to worry about me, I could fight with her without impunity. I could fight for all of you. Think of everything we've faced if my death didn't matter-"

"It matters," David cut in exasperated.

"If it didn't?" Hook pressed. "Isn't it worth knowing for sure? Just think on it."

David did and the images and situations made him feel uncomfortable. Hook was basically suggesting he become literal cannon fodder and no matter David's swinging opinion of the former villain he didn't deserve a life like that. It was all mute anyway, one dream didn't make it real and even if it was, Emma wasn't just going to stand by and watch Hook throw himself under the bus at every opportunity.

"Throwing yourself off a cliff into the ocean isn't the way to find out," he said bluntly, fixing his best scolding dad face at the pirate.

"Aye, you're right," Hook admitted slightly sheepishly. They went back to staring down the long drop to the phone.

"You could probably reach it if I lean over the edge and hold onto you," Hook said. David looked between him and the cliff and nodded in agreement.

"Let's do it."

….

After their rescue neither man mentioned their discussions on the cliff edge again, not to each other or anyone else. It was like they had reached a silent agreement that what happened on the little island stayed on the island. Besides, it had been weirdly personal for their relationship and if they could avoid any further awkwardness, all the better. They were also far too busy trying to solve their own problem to worry about the other man's.

….

Emma could feel the deep frown bunching her forehead as she watched her father chatting with Leroy in Granny's. She tried to shake it off, the feeling like he was hiding something from her, something unpleasant, but she kept thinking about Maleficent and Lily and how she shouldn't have ignored her spidey sense for favour of sentimentality that time.

He didn't look good, but neither did her mother when she was awake, the curse was definitely taking its toll. The difference between her parents was while they were both sad, her mother was otherwise attempting to get on with her everyday life as normal, doing the same things, going to work, looking after Neal. Her father on the other hand was often running late, just a few minutes here and there but enough to be noticeable. He was also distracted, staring into space or missing chunks of conversation. It could all be stress because of the curse, but that unpleasant feeling kept niggling at her. Today she'd seen him with Maleficent in an alley near the station, they didn't seem to be arguing just talking, the dragon shaking her head with a frown on her face while her father's shoulders slumped. He was probably asking about the curse, but the niggle flared at that thought. If you steal someone's baby and then lose it on another realm, you don't go asking that person for advice, not unless you're really desperate and were they _that_ desperate yet? Emma huffed at her own flip flopping thoughts.

Then there had been that horrible conversation about Emma trying true love's kiss on her mother instead of Charming. Of course she loved her parents but a lifetime of feeling abandoned and unwanted didn't go away as if it never happened and she really didn't need to see her father's face when her kiss didn't work and then have to explain it in a way that'd probably break his heart. Poor Henry was essentially the same. He just didn't know his grandparents well enough for their love to be true, no matter how strong a bond they'd formed. Neal was too small to be able to kiss at all, and if they couldn't solve this he'd end up up like Emma and Henry, never really knowing his parents and fearing their secrets. Well that was super depressing, good job Emma, she thought to herself. Your mother might be asleep but that doesn't mean you have to forget everything she taught you about hope. Hearing Charming's voice scold her in her mind made Emma smile. It faded back into a frown when she realised she couldn't see him in the diner anymore and the niggle became a roar.

…..

"This madness again? I thought you dropped this," David hissed, pushing Hook further into the corridor that led towards the inn and out of Emma's view, behind the pirate Frankenstein rolled his eyes and smirked and David threw him a dirty look instead of punching him in the face like he wanted.

"I can't stand not knowing. I'm testing it," Hook said, repeating his previous announcement.

"Testing it!" David exclaimed, before glancing back towards the diner and lowering his voice. "You really have gone mad. I suppose you're here because you're going to help him kill himself?" he asked Whale. The doctor nodded, his smirk growing.

"It's an amazing opportunity. If the Captain really can come back from the dead, imagine the implications. I can decipher the code between life and death, mold it, use it! No one need die again!" Whale replied enthusiastically.

"He has a device that stops your heart using electricity," Hook jumped in quickly before the doctor got on too much of a roll. "It's apparently sudden and painless and the same device is used to restart your heart, so if I don't come back the good doctor here can rectify the situation." He said it all in a calm voice as if his explanation was perfectly reasonable. David grabbed his shoulder and yanked him not too gently away from the slimy doctor, hoping the jerk would shake some sense into the pirate.

"Rectify the situation? Electricity? Are you listening to yourself? This is madness, especially trusting that quack," David hissed pointing at Whale. The doctor rolled his eyes.

"Probably," Hook admitted. "I haven't told Emma."

"Why not?" David asked.

"She would be against it," Hook replied.

"You think? Hey guess what? I'm against it too," David said.

"Well it's a good thing it doesn't matter," the pirate replied, stepping back towards Whale, who beamed in victory.

"Why are you telling me then?" David asked.

"Well… You're right, I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. I was hoping you would chaperone as it were," Hook said nodding over his shoulder to the doctor, whose smile fell in response.

"Hey, my methods are scientific," he grumbled.

"So _don't_ do it. Killian," David said earnestly. His rare use of Hook's real name had them both blinking in surprise.

"Like you wouldn't do if our places were switched? I know what you've been up to with Snow. Asking Emma to to try waking her so you can convince a witch to take out your heart and give it back to her. What's the word for that?.. oh yes. Suicide."

"That's different. How do you know any of that anyway?" Charming demanded.

"Belle overheard your little plea to Zelena and got worried. Actually, she's spending far too much time with that harpy I must speak to her about that," Hook muttered. "Just like how I should speak to Emma about what you're planning," he pointed out with a gleam in his eye.

"Blackmailing me pirate?" David growled.

"Is it working?"

"No. What if you die for good? I'm left to explain it to Emma." David said bluntly. Hook shifted on his feet and scratched his ear, his thoughts at war with himself. Whale coughed behind him and Hook met his eye before turning back to David.

"Isn't it worth knowing for sure?" he lamented almost to himself before nodding and raising an eyebrow at the prince. "Whether you come or not I'm doing this and now you know I am, you're already in that position. So…."

"You underhand scheming-"

"Pirate. Yes, yes. You need to mix up your insults," Hook said waving his namesake dismissively. "So what are you going to do Dave?"

Charming stared at the pirate captain and was annoyed to see his confident smirk. Thought he had him over a barrel did he? But then, hidden under that arrogance was something fragile and hopeful. The lonely tortured man inside the pirate swagger that needed some support and understanding.

"Emma!" David shouted into the diner.

Hook eyes transformed into piercing betrayal, any sign of the good man underneath snuffed out in an instant. He and Whale actually turned to run for it, but Emma was already rounding the corner as if she'd been waiting on the other side of it.

"Yeah Dad what's up? Oh, Hook… and Whale? What's going on?"

…..

David could almost feel the sharp stabs of Hook's glares as Emma continued to shout at them ten minutes later. They had moved into the inn's communal lounge area but all four of them remained standing as the verbal fight escalated.

"Don't look at him like that," Emma snapped noticing the glaring. "He did the right thing. I can't believe you're making me say this again. How am I supposed to trust you after this? First your brother kidnaps you and Henry, so he can _kill_ you. Now this? Every time you leave the house I'm going to be scared you won't come back." Instead of deflating and backing down under Emma's tear filled eyes Hook tilted his head to the side, his anger redirecting itself at Emma.

"I'm not the only one in this room with secrets. With everything going on I didn't want to add to your troubles and don't even start to lecture me on that point Swan," he said quickly before she could interrupt. "I'm not entirely sure how it is you feel you can lecture me on the morality of keeping such secrets at all? Tell me love, if the Queen hadn't forced your hand, when were we going to tell us of your visions?" A heavy silence fell over the room.

"Well things have taken a decidedly personal and therefore awkward turn," Whale announced loudly as he got up. "So if our little experiment is no longer occurring I think it's time I left. Call me," he said to Hook as he passed with the least subtle wink imaginable. He received a set of annoyed glares but David's was only half strength as he planned to use the doctor's escape as an excuse for his own.

"I'll make sure he goes," he said. Emma's face snapped towards him.

"Don't even think of running off, I have plenty to say to you too," she said, her cheeks flushed with both fury and misery. David wasn't sure he'd ever felt like more of a heel and he nodded in promise even as his heart and mind geared up to defend his actions. _It's her heart beating inside me, she's given me so much. I can give her this._

He followed Whale out to the parking lot and watched in disgust as the doctor climbed into a borrowed hearse and drove away. The man was a study in how to be unpleasant.

"David."

Turning to look up the road Charming was surprised to see the Blue Fairy speed walking towards him.

"Thank the stars I found you," she said as she reached him. "Is Hook with you?"

"He's inside. Why?"

"I have to speak to both of you urgently." she replied and all but pushed him back into the inn, continuing to rush them back to the lounge where Emma and Hook were still arguing. In fact, their entrance was so sudden the two stopped mid sentence to stare at them.

"Thank goodness neither of you have acted on your resolve yet," Blue said, motioning for David to stand next to Hook so she could study them both at the same time.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked sharply, really not in the mood for vague fairy answers at the moment. Blue sighed deeply and sat down on the sofa.

"I bumped into Belle and she mentioned the two of you were acting strangely. Then I found out about your run in with the Evil Queen," the fairy explained, without actually explaining anything.

"She's done something to them?" Emma asked, moving so she could check over both of them too.

"No, not directly but, purposefully or not, the little island she sent them to was no ordinary island. It's the Isle of Resolve," Blue said in a resigned voice.

"The Isle of Resolve?" Hook repeated slowly, hoping this was the fairy's poor idea of a joke.

"Yes Captain," she sighed. "It was created by a fairy hoping it would act as a source of inspiration and well fortitude for those struggling with… issues."

"Issues?" David repeated, in the same tone Hook had used.

"She was sadly and ironically misguided in her attempt," Mother Superior replied.

"Who doesn't enjoy some of life being ironic?" Hook asked, his sarcasm cutting.

"She didn't understand that such truly difficult life problems often don't have a satisfying solution. That that is part of what makes it so difficult to decide on a specific action. The island therefore doesn't understand that either. People who land there find themselves suddenly sure of what they are going to do and go out and do it no matter the consequences."

"Bloody hell, couldn't you destroy it or at least put up a sign," Hook demanded, his head whirling with the sudden and nauseating realisation of out of control he'd been behaving. He looked at David who looked as devastated as he was feeling a silent expression of astonishment passing between them.

"The island was created from magic. No magic can be completely destroyed only reformed," Blue defended haughtily "So we changed the island to make it inhospitable and difficult to reach. We didn't expect it to be brought to Storybrooke."

"So what happens now?" Emma asked, her voice sounding slightly strained after forcing herself to be quiet during the fairy's explanation instead of tearing into her about the latest trauma to her family.

"Staying with irony," Blue said sending Hook a sidelong squint. "Fortitude is the cure. The two of you have to resist the impulse the island has given you. The more you turn from that course the less power it will have over you. Eventually it will dissipate completely."

"What's eventually?" David asked. Blue winced sympathetically and didn't answer.

"So, no killing yourself to see what happens. Either of you," Emma said firmly. Hook felt his head nodding in agreement but felt a small prick of fear at the lack of conviction he felt in his heart. _Isn't it worth knowing for sure?_ He could hear his own thoughts rebelling against the information he'd just heard and was only now able to recognise it as an alien force inside his own mind. How can you fight your own thoughts? He met David's eye again and saw his panic reflected almost exactly in the prince's eyes.

"Hey," Emma's gentle voice broke between them and she reached out to grab both their hands, making sure they were looking at her. "We can get through this. I don't know, we'll just keep you both under supervision at the loft until this thing has faded."

"I'm not sure that will work," Hook said heavily. "I've sort of been hiding away this week. The urge just builds up inside you until you feel like you'll explode. That's what led to consulting bloody Frankenstein." Emma bit her lip and looked at the fairy on the sofa for help and received flat sympathetic smiles instead.

David felt his irritation at Blue growing, he should be thankful she came and stopped them doing anything suicidal but help was always only half of what you needed from her. She gave a prod or a supportive word but never got her own hands dirty. Just like with the sapling…. The sapling!

"Hiding won't make this go away," he agreed. "But we can do something else to distract ourselves."

"What's that?" Hook asked.

"The sapling," David answered. Emma and Hook gave him a skeptical look.

"You said the Evil Queen destroyed it," his daughter reminded him.

"Ah, but no magic can be completely destroyed only reformed," David said repeating what Blue had just told them.

"So if she didn't destroy it what did she do?" Emma asked.

"She turned it into dust," David said. Hook chuckled.

"Sparkling ash," he said.

"What?" Emma demanded not liking being outside the loop.

"When you and your mother burned the wardrobe in the Enchanted Forest," Hook explained. "Before we became acquainted."

"Is that what you call it?" she asked smirking,

"Cora collected the ashes left behind," he went on ignoring her. "That's what we used to make the portal you used to get home." Emma's mouth fell open in surprise and she turned to her father.

"You think you can still use the sapling dust to capture the Queen?" She asked. David shrugged.

"It could work," Blue piped up from where she was still sitting on the sofa watching them like she'd bought tickets.

"Then that's our plan," David declared. "We go back to the woods and collect the dust."

"A pile of dust somewhere in the woods, where it's been exposed to the elements for days?" Hook asked sounding less than impressed with the idea.

"It should take us a while don't you think?" David replied. Hook sighed.

"Aye mate," he agreed. "Then let's not waste time." David walked out of the inn with a bounce in his step that had been missing since the Evil Queen had arrived in Storybrooke.

"Emma," Hook caught her arm as she made to follow. "About what I said just now-"

"Hey," she cut him off. "It's OK. Well it's not and it is. You shouldn't have hidden any of this from me, but I get it and I'm sorry. I'm sorry about keeping secrets too. I wish we'd talked about all this differently but it's done now. We'll talk more once your... resolve has faded."

Hook growled in annoyance, his hatred of being controlled flaring but before the spark lit Emma leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips, extinguishing any flames and leaving a calm in his mind.

"Go on," she said nodding towards the car park. "Spend the day looking on the ground for dust and I'll see you later." Despite her words she looked reluctant to let him go and he dropped a kiss of his own onto her mouth.

"I swear to you Love," he said. "I'll see you tonight. No more talking to death obsessed doctors. I'm sure your father will keep me in line... and I him."

"Tonight then."

"Tonight."

...

 **Author's Note:** So this sprang originally from the way Hook popped out of no where in the last ep. I had this crazy idea that he had died on the beach and Zeus' magic meant that if he did die again then he'd return to Emma automatically (So Zeus wouldn't have to intervene again). He only appeared then as Emma had only just been freed from the mirror.

Please leave a review and let me know what you thought, I really love hearing from you all.

Also, I have been nominated on the CS fanfiction awards on Tumblr. I am so honoured and grateful to whoever nominated me and to the site for hosting such a great collection of story links. Go check it out, it's a treasure trove.

Thanks for reading I look forward to hearing from you.


	5. Chapter 5: NGH

**Author's Note:** The chapter title NGH stands for "not gonna happen." There is zero chance of the show's writers going this way. This is just an idea I had to try out to see if it would work. Please let me know what you think. (The angst is strong with this one)

…..

Tinker Bell stopped when she realised she was walking alone and looked back down the corridor to where Hook was standing glaring at his feet.

"Hook, come on," she scolded, sounding every bit like the nun she was now dressed as. "You know it's not gentlemanly to keep a lady waiting," she added, her normal sarcastic nature slipping into her voice and ruining the prim image almost immediately.

"That's not a lady waiting for me," the pirate grumbled. "It's a fairy _and_ a nun... no offence."

"Offence taken," Tinker Bell replied walking back down the hall to peer up at his face. "What's wrong? You've never had a problem with fairies before." Hook sighed and gave her a slightly apologetic smile.

"It's not that. Every step closer…," he struggled for the right word. "I have this heavy dragging feeling in my guts. This… dread. The last time I felt anything like it was after Camelot while I was-"

"When you were the Dark One and didn't know?" Tink asked. Hook growled at the memory and the green fairy looked up to study the door to the Blue Fairy's room a feeling of trepidation growing in her chest.

It had been odd Blue summoning her at all and then asking her to fetch Hook on top of that had been even weirder. She'd brushed it off as the Mother Superior wanting to take advantage of her history with the pirate, but thinking on it more, why was such a concession needed at all unless Blue was going to give Hook bad news? A feeling of dread he said? Maybe Tink could understand that.

"You look terrible in those drab clothes Tink," muttered Hook, watching her out of the corner of her eye. She gave him an unimpressed glare and he chuckled, but the noise held none of his old arrogance or heat. She glanced down at her plain grey cardigan and felt like a fraud.

"I'll let her know you don't want to see her," Tink said, surprising herself and Hook who raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not such a coward yet," he said. "If I don't find out what this is now I'm sure it'll bite me later."

"But…" Tink bit her lip and frowned, not sure what to do. Despite his obvious misgivings her suggestion had apparently made Hook's mind up and he nodded for her to go ahead and announce him.

She tapped gently against the door, super aware of the pirate standing at her shoulder and half hoping no one would answer. The faint _enter_ that floated out to them dashed any of those hopes and she gave Hook one last frown before she stuck her head into the room.

"Captain Hook's here Blue," she said. Blue gave a pained sigh indicating Tinker Bell had somehow managed to mess up introducing the pirate and waved a limp hand at them. Hook strode into the room as if he was walking into a fist fight. The head fairy gave him a thin smile from her seat behind her desk. She was slowly recovering from her fight with the Black Fairy but was still very weak and pale, this was the first time Tink had seen her out of bed.

"Do you want me to-" Tink started to asked.

"That will be all Green," Blue said dismissively. Tink hesitated, not liking the tense atmosphere in the room one bit, but Hook caught her eye and gave her a wink which eased her nerves. She gave him her best supportive smile as she closed the door on them, then she leaned against the wood with her ear pressed against it so she could listen in.

Their voices were too muffled to hear their words but she heard Hook's low tone followed by the Blue Fairy's sharper ones. Hook interrupted whatever the Mother Superior was saying and his voice rose in volume although Tink still couldn't make out the exact words. Blue must have dropped her voice in response because Tink couldn't hear anything after that. She pressed her ear tightly against the door desperate to make out something.

"Captain… Captain?" Blue's voice rang out sharply and was answered by a crash that rattled the door and sent Tink rushing straight into the room.

Blue was stood next to her chair clutching the back to stay upright as Hook tore the rest of the office space apart. He was snarling, his teeth and eyes flashing amidst the broken furniture and scattered papers. Tink had never seen him in a rage like this, even during the darkest days of Neverland and her heart skipped a beat in fear. Just as she reached the Mother Superior he whirled around and drove his hook hard into the middle of Blue's stately desk. The metal bit in deep, sinking into the leather top and wood underneath and Hook froze in place staring at it as if surprised by his own strength.

"Hook?" Tink asked gently, casting glances at Blue hoping she would help explain why the pirate had flown off the deep end. "Hook? Please stop you'll hurt yourself."

"We wouldn't want that," he replied snidely but his venom was directed at the head fairy trembling behind her.

"What happened?" Tink asked reaching out slowly and tentatively helping to loosen the silver hook from the desk. The pirate ignored her question, his eyes still fixed on Blue.

"Have you told anyone else?" he demanded.

"No," Blue replied.

"Not even my mother?" he asked. _Mother?_ Tink couldn't process that amidst the chaos in the office and started easing Hook backwards to give them all some space. Blue shook her head resolutely. "Why should I believe you?" Hook asked. Blue held her chin up hoping to look strong despite the trembling throughout her body.

"You already know it's true or you wouldn't have reacted as you did. I wanted to tell you first, to explain-"

"Good," Hook cut her off, not interested in whatever excuse was coming. "Well if I am the first then I am also the last. Do you understand me fairy? No one is to know about this. You are to keep this secret until your dying day, which will arrive promptly should you ever speak a word of this to anyone."

"Hook!" Tink exclaimed, stunned by the pirate's open and blunt threat.

"I suppose now you know where your temper comes from," Blue commented, looking around her destroyed office space sadly. Hook lurched forward his namesake reaching to strike her but Tink grabbed his arm and pulled his aim towards the floor.

"She is bloody asking me for it," he snarled. "Did you think I was making a joke just a moment ago?" Blue eyes were wide as she shook her head. "I am _Captain Hook_ and Captain Hook's orders are followed unless you wish to suffer the consequences," the pirate's voice had dropped to a sultry threatening growl. He shoved Tinker Bell away as he pulled himself to his full height towering over the two fairies. Without thinking Tink threw herself in front of Blue, her arms spread wide.

"Please Hook no!" she begged him. What in all the realms was happening? What the hell had Blue told him about his mother? The pirate's eyes fell away from Blue and landed on Tinker Bell. He stared at her for a long moment before he finally stepped back and left the room without another word to either of them.

"I would like to get back into bed now Tinker Bell," Blue said, gripping her arm tightly. Tink could feel the head fairy's energy fading fast as she leaned heavily against her.

"Of course. What did you tell him?" Tink asked as she shifted Blue to lean on her shoulder. The Blue Fairy just shook her head and kept her eyes on the floor.

…

"Emma please call me as soon as you get this. I can't come home, I'm….. I'll talk to you when you call…. Oh my talking phone may not work on the Nautilus, but I shan't be there for long."

Hook pressed the button that shut down his device and cursed his luck for forever forcing him to leave Swan messages. Just once he'd enjoy hearing her answer the damn thing. He shoved the phone into his inner jacket pocket with more force than it deserved. Looking down the dock he was standing on he could just make out the silhouette of Liam's submarine against the dark sea. Night had only just fallen, the automatic street lights flickering on and creating dark shadows around their sickly yellow pools of light. It suited his mood perfectly.

He had stood on the edge of shore for hours trying to come to terms with what the Blue Fairy had told him. He had tried to convince himself that it wasn't true, that the head fairy had lied or had made a mistake, but he knew they were hollow ideas. Gods, everything in his long sorry existence was called into question now. His father abandoning him and Liam without a thought, made almost understandable. Liam forever having to pull him up, force him on straight and narrow. Bloody hell, Pan keeping him around for centuries. Had the demon known? He looked back to the Nautilus.

What was he hoping confessing to Liam would accomplish? He needed someway to unburden his soul and this was the best he came up with. He doubted his _brother_ would even allow him aboard let alone listen to him and if he did the man was more likely to drive a dagger through his heart than offer any form of solace. Is that what he wanted? Had Captain Hook finally given up? How could he go onwards from this point?

At least Hades wasn't around to torture him any further once he got below. Distantly he became aware of that detail also gaining clarity. Why had he been singled out for the god to punish? Had he known of Emma's plan before she did or was it because his soul was already forfeit due to a contract?

"So many times I have cursed the fates for continually bringing you into my life," the Crocodile's voice hissed behind him. Hook clenched his eyes and jaw shut, trying to block out the man behind him. In his distraction had he spoken his name out loud? Summoned his demon to torment him further? "But now I see it wasn't my life, it was my family," Rumpelstiltskin continued. "Pan and Milah and Pan again, then Bae falls into your lap and now you're in this town living with my grandson, even Belle has accepted you, although that is probably the least surprising." Hook resolutely made a show of ignoring him. "Finally home where you belong. The universe correcting that meddling fairy's actions," Gold finished, his voice barely escaping through his gritted teeth.

"How do you know?" Hook asked.

"I've been battling with a locator spell to find my son. All I could get was a flicker and then I would lose the connection. I realised the problem wasn't in the spell itself but how I was casting it. I never even saw him after he was born, so the only image I could hold in my mind was the grown man I met in the dream realm. Morpheus." There was an odd tone in his voice as he said the name and Hook turned in surprise so he could see his expression. Rumpelstiltskin looked haunted.

"It occurred to me that being a dream realm his image may not be his true self. So I asked an old friend to cast the spell for me, a friend who had never met Morpheus and so had no image to think of. Imagine my surprise when the spell showed my son was still in Storybrooke, at that fairy's hive."

"The convent," Hook surmised. "This morning." Gold nodded. "So, it was just good old fashioned eavesdropping? Were you at the window?" Something about that image of the Dark One creeping about the convent with his face against the cold pane of glass seemed funny and Hook let out a soft breathy chuckle which transformed into a laugh that was more pain than humour.

"It's ironic, everything I've been doing for the past months has been in an effort to prevent my son from hating me," Gold said. Hook's laughter cut off.

"Ironic is not the word," he growled. "I never imagined it would be possible to hate you more than I did but it seems today is a day for revelations." Gold didn't say anything, he just stared at him with those haunted eyes until Hook couldn't take it anymore. He pulled his sword from his belt and swung it up in a deadly arc. "Well I've killed one father, I think I should at least try to make it two for two."

"Don't tell Belle," Gold said, instead of rising to the bait.

"Why not? At this stage she'll thank me," Hook sneered, flicking his sword so the point was aimed at Gold's throat, then he hesitated. "Have you told her?" he asked.

"No."

"Ah, at least you can be relied upon to be yourself Crocodile," Hook replied, his relief blunting the insult.

"As difficult as it is for you to believe, I love her. I don't want to hurt her and knowing this... would hurt her."

"After all these years looks like we found something to agree on."

"Well I have one more," Gold said and he pulled two small blue glass vials from his pocket.

"What are they?" Hook asked, his sword dropping forgotten toward the ground.

"Memory potion. It will remove this entire day," Gold answered, twisting his hand so one vial pointed towards the pirate and the other towards himself.

"Why?" Hook asked suspiciously, eyeing the vial.

"I want this knowledge as little as you do. Maybe less. If you take it so will I. I'm guessing you've made sure the fairy won't be speaking of this again to anyone."

Hook and the Dark One stood facing each other the soft lapping of the sea against the dock and the metallic rattle of equipment hanging in the breeze echoing around them.

"Deal."

Hook's phone started it's irritating chirp in his pocket, blinking as if in a daze he reached to pull it out it and heard something glass hit the dock's wooden boards at his feet. He wasn't fast enough to see what it was before it fell into the ocean below with a plop. Emma's smiling face glowed at him brightly from the device's screen and he looked up at the suddenly dark sky in surprise as he pressed the button to answer her.

"Emma? Is everything alright love?" he asked.

"That's why I'm ringing you," she replied. "What's wrong? You sounded awful in your message."

"Message?" he asked, looking around himself and unable to remember how he'd got there.

"Yes, you said you were going to the Nautilus instead of coming home," she answered, sounding more and more concerned.

"Why would I go there? Liam may not want to kill me but he still hates me," Hook replied, even as he realised he was standing on the submarine's dock.

"You tell me," Emma demanded. "Where are you? I'll come to you."

"No,no," Hook said hurriedly turning his back on his brother's vessel and walking towards town. "I'll come meet you. Granny's?"

"Sure. You sure you're OK?"

"No Love, but I'll see you in just a moment."

"You better Pirate."

"Aye Aye Princess." He hung up and his feet faltered as he consciously stopped himself from turning to look back over his shoulder. A feeling of deep dread was pulling at his guts, he felt a shiver of fear as he recognised the feeling from his unwitting time as a Dark One. He forced his feet in a straight line back towards town and towards Emma, thankful to all the gods who'd hear him that the feeling faded with each step he took.

….

 _Coda_ _: Earlier at the convent -_

" _You summoned me?" Hook asked the Blue fairy, making sure to sound particularly unimpressed._

" _Yes, Captain thank you for coming," the fairy replied formally. She straightened the shawl around her shoulders, her fingers jerking and giving away just how nervous she was. She took a breath holding it in her lungs for a count of three before letting it out. Hook's patience only allowed her ten seconds of silence._

" _So what do you want?" he demanded._

" _For your life to have turned out differently -" she sighed._

" _What the blazes is that supposed to mean?" he asked, rapidly progressing from irritated to angry._

" _I failed in my mission," she admitted. "The promise I made to your mother."_

" _My mother?"_

" _I couldn't just take you to another realm, the Dark One had more than proved such efforts are no barrier to him. But now I had a new option. So I took you through time, to a time before Rumpelstiltskin had ever even considered being the Dark One, where I believed he could pose no possible threat to you. To preserve the timeline I found a family with a baby just your age and I swapped you for him, bringing that child back here to this time and place in your stead and leaving you to be brought up by that family. I did not learn their names, I thought it would be safer that way. I only realised my mistake this morning._

 _I also did not foresee the Dark Fairy's desire for you. When I returned to this time I foolishly let my guard down. Believing that I had done enough to hide you I failed to protect the human child I had taken. That miserable creature Gold and Belle believe is their child? The one who calls himself Morpheus? He is the real Killian Jones, while you are Gid-"_

" _Enough. I will hear no more," Hook cut her off. His voice was soft but choked. His eyes flicked around the room although he didn't see any of it, his mind trapped within the mess of his thoughts._

" _Did you not wonder why your brother's were fairer than you? In both looks and temperament?" Blue continued to press. She found discussing her failures distasteful and wanted to get this over with quickly. "You see how you were continually drawn to magic despite your efforts? It was always part of your nature," she tried. "Can you not see the truth plainly now it has been laid out?" The pirate had gone still his face directed at the desk top between them, so she could only see his eyebrows bunched together. She waited but he didn't say anything._

" _Captain," she called out trying to get him to focus back on her. He flinched and she suddenly realised that he was shaking all over. "Captain?" she asked in concern._

 _Like a snake striking he attacked the chairs by her desk flinging them across the room and into the door to the hall, startling her to her feet and prompting Tinker Bell to burst into the room._

… _._

 **Author's Note:** Why was that episode called _Changeling_? Where was the fake baby? I'm sure if they actually use that in the plot it'll be someone else. I think this would cross the fine line Once already walks with its twisted family trees and is really way too much angst for the show, hence _Not Gonna Happen_. Think I made it possible though? Did I close all the plot holes? Please leave a review and let me know.


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